JVM Languages

Codename One: Your Mission Is Single Code Base Java

With its requisite beta period now out of the way, technology start-up operation Codename One says it has reached the 1.0 version launch of its mobile development platform.

Codename One's platform proposition is native mobile application development across many mobile operating systems using a single Java code base. With 100,000 downloads in its last month of beta and 1,000 apps currently in existence, there has arguably been a respectable level of interest in this firm's development team work throughout 2012.

This is an open source platform for programmers to build native apps to "all mobile devices" using Java and, optionally, a GUI builder. The framework provides full access to the underlying native platform while still providing portability.

"The 1.0 version release is an exciting advancement for the mobile development industry and comes at a key time, where mobile development has become increasingly inefficient and fragmented," said the company.

The firm was started by two ex-Sun Microsystems engineers, Shai Almog and Chen Fishbein, who were previously renowned for developing LWUIT. Both say that they decided it was time to put their energies towards helping mobile application developers.

The Java-based platform is open-source and utilizes lightweight technology, allowing it to produce unique native interfaces highly differentiated from competitive cross-platform mobile development toolkits, which typically use HTML5 or heavyweight technology," said Fishbein.

By drawing all components from scratch rather than utilizing native widgets,
Codename One hopes to enable developers to avoid fragmentation. It also produces what the development team calls "accurate" desktop simulation of mobile apps.

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